Skill gap puts $1.97 trillion growth at risk in India: Report

NEW DELHI: India may have to forgo as much as $1.97 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP) growth promised by investment in intelligent technologies over the next decade if the country fails to bridge the skill gap, a new report from Accenture said on Monday. Advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) and Blockchain can enable rapid reskilling and upskilling at scale, said the report titled "Fueling India's Skill Revolution". These technologies can help people learn new skills quickly, efficiently and cost effectively, Accenture said. "We must offer more experiential on-the-job training and help people adopt life-long learning as their jobs are transformed. Digital tools and applications -- like artificial itelligence, analytics and blockchain -- will be essential in delivering these new learning approaches," said Rekha M Menon, Chairman and Senior Managing Director at Accenture in India.